Self-contained charcoal heater



Feb. 21, 1933. R. o. MIDDLETON 1,898,846

' SELF CONTAINED CHARCOAL HEATER Filed March 24, 1931 Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR WITNESSES v R.0.MtdcZLeZ'on BY M ATTORNEYS R. o. MIDDLETON SELF CONTAINED CHARCOAL HEATER Feb. 21, 1933.

Filed March -24, 19:51 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNirEe STATES PATENT @FFICE RICHARD O. MIDDLETON, OF PALM BEACH, FLORIDA SELF-CONTAINED CHARCOAL HEATER Application filed March 24, 1531.

" dred fuel to generate heat, instead of burning wood in the fireplace in the usual manner.

The heater is self-contained in that the fuel may be burned therein, and the ashes sepa rated from the fire and kept in a removable 9 receptacle for convenient handling thereof.

The invention has for its general object the provision of a heater of the indicated character which will be extremely simple of construction, inexpensive of manufacture, and a of substantial thermal efficiency and design. Among the benefits and advantages of the heater may be enumerated the following.

The fuel may be conveniently ignited by the use of fluid inflammable substance applied to 0 means which also serves as a support for the fuel. The heat will issue mostly laterally into the room or apartment to be heated. Air will be caused to circulate through the heater, the heated air passing into the room or apartment and additional cool air passing into the heater to continually replace the outfiowing heated air. The products of combustion and ashes may be conveniently handled in a clean and orderly manner.

The nature of the invention and its distinguishing features and advantages will appear when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a heater embodying the features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the heater;

Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the heater on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4: is a horizontal section on the line 4:4 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings it will be apparent that the heater includes a shell or casing constructed of heavy sheet metal. The casing or shell 10 is rectangular in cross section and consists of a back'wall 11, end walls 12, a front wall 13, and a top wall 14. The front wall 13 has an opening therein. A grille or metal mesh, preferably a bronze grille 15, is secured to the Serial No. 524,555.

front wall 13 to cover the opening therein. A d1v1 der or partition is arranged within the casing and consists of a main wall 16 and end walls 17, the latter being secured respectively to flanges 8 on the front wall 18. The mam wall 16 of the partition has an extension 19, provided with a flange which is secured in any suitable manner to the back wall 11 of the casing 10. The walls 16 and 17 of the partition have flanges 18 to which the top wall 14 of the casing is secured. It will now be apparent that the casing 10 and the partition form a fuel chamber 21 and an an chamber 22. The top wall 14 has an opening 23 therein for the fuel chamber 21 which is closed by a fuel door or lid 24, hingedly connected with the top as at 25. It will be apparent that the grille 15 constitutes a perforate front wall for the fuel chamber 21. The top wall 14 and the back wall 11 above the extension 19 have a plurality of openings 26 therein for the circulation of air through the air chamber 22. It will be apparent that the air chamber 22 extends around the back and opposite ends of the fuel chamber 21.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, there is provided at the bottom of the fuel chamber 21 means which serves for the purpose of igniting the fuel placed in the chamber 21 and also as a support for the fuel. The said means includes a base member 27 which is secured at its ends to the end walls 17 and along one of its longitudinal edges to the grille 15. The base member 27 is inclined rearwardlyanddownwardly. A'lireproofpad 28 is held in place on the base member 27 by flanges 7 on the base member. The pad 28 is made of asbestos and is capable of being saturated with an inflammable substance, such as oil. A protecting grille or metal screen 29 is placed on the pad 28 and is held in place by the flanges on the base member 27.

The rear edge of the base member 27 is spaced a suitable distance from the main Wall 16 of the partition, and a shaker or sifter rod 30 is disposed in this space. One end of the rod 30 is journaled as at 31 in one end wall 17 and the other end extends through the other end wall 17 and is journaled as at 32 in the adj acent end wall 12 of the casing 10. The rod 30 has a crank 33 for rotating it.

The extension 19 which forms the bottom of the air chamber 22 is disposed above the lower end of the casing 10 and thus forms a compartment to receive an ash receptacle or box 34; the front wall 13 of the casing being provided with an opening to accommodate the receptacle 34. A combined guide and rest 35 of cross-sectionally angular material is secured to the back wall 11 and end walls 12 of the casing. The receptacle 34 is guided into and out of the compartment formed in the lower end of the casing by the guide and rest 35 and also is supported thereon when it is positioned within the compartment to receive the ashes from the fuel chamber 21. The front wall 13 of the casing is extended upwardly and forwardly to provide a deflector 36 at the bottom of the grille 15. The deflector 36 serves to return the ashes into the receptacle or box 34 by reason of a passage 37 below the fuel chamber 21.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there has been described a heater of the portable type which is designed to burn charcoal or other smokeless fuel; that by putting some inflammable fluid substance on the pad 28 through the grille 15, and igniting the substance, the resulting flame will ignite the fuel in the chamber 21: that the heat will issue mostly laterally through the grille 15; that air will be caused to circulate through the air chamber 22 by reason of the openings 26 and the heated air will pass into the room or compartment to be heated; that ashes precipitated through the grille 15 will fall to the deflector 36 which will pass the ashes into the box or receptacle 34; that the crank 33 may be operated to separate ashes from the fire at the bottom of the fuel chamber and precipitate the same into the box or receptacle 34; and that the receptacle 34 may be readily removed and emptied whenever the occasion arises.

I claim:

1. In a heater of the class described, a fuel chamber having a grille forming a perforate wall for the chamber, an ash receptacle below said chamber, and a deflector at the bottom of said grille and above said receptacle for deflecting products of combustion precipitated through said grille into said receptacle.

2. In a heater, in combination, a casing constructed of sheet metal to form a fuel chamber open at the top for the introducing of the fuel, and also open at the front, a grille secured to the casing to form a perforate wall for said chamber, a sifter carried by the casing and disposed at the bottom of said fuel chamber, and a fuel support in addition to the sifter at the bottom of the fuel chamber and joined to said grille, there being sufficient space between the sifter and the casing and support to allow ashes to pass downwardly out of the fuel chamber.

3. In a heater of the class described, a structure forming a fuel chamber open at the front, a grille secured to said structure in registry with said opening, a downwardly and rearwardly extendin 7 fuel support secured to said structure at the ottom of said chamber, and fuel igniting means on said support.

4. In a heater of the class described, a structure forming a fuel chamber open at the front, a grille secured to said structure in registry with said opening, a downwardly and rearwardly extending fuel support secured to said structure at the bottom of said chamber, and a rotatable bar supported by said structure adjacent the lower edge of said support to aid the latter in supporting the fuel and for precipitating the ashes.

RICHARD O. MIDDLETON.

I no 

